If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You will have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

259 & 289 engine oil capacity

When I lived in Canada and worked for my fathers Studebkaer dealer ship when we change oil and filter it took 5 imperial quarts to fill the engine. Now when I change oil and filter here in MN and put in 5 quarts the dipstick shows me almost a qt low on both my Avanti 289 and my Champ 259. Are the v8's suppose to take 6 qts with a filter change. I don't want to over fill my engine but I don't want to be starting off a qt low. The manual states 5 qts, but 5 doesn't bring it to the full mark. Can anyone out there varify what is correct and what documents there are to support this.
Ed

The owner's manuals were not exactly models of clarity. The manual for the '63 R1 I used to own said the engine oil capacity was 5 quarts. It didn't specify that was for the crankcase and to add a quart for the filter. Back then, many, if not most service charts said to replace the filter every other oil change. That never made sense to me...why mix five quarts of fresh oil with a quart of dirty oil. 5 quarts new oil + 1 quart dirty oil + 6 quarts of dirty oil.

Poet...Mystic...Soldier of Fortune. As always...self-absorbed, adversarial, cocky and in general a malcontent.

I have now let my Avanti R2 sit 4 hours and checked the oil. With 5 qts it now shows half way between add and full. Earlier I checked it 5 minutes after running it and the oil level only came up to the add mark. The top end of the engine must hold a lot of oil. I guess I will add half a qt and get it to full and in the futur put in 5 1/2 qts. In the past I used to put in 6 USA qts.
Ed

The Cdn shop manual shows engine oil capacity as 5 us qt., 4.2 imp qt. or 4.75 litres. An additional us qt. to be added for the filter. I recall the factory authorized Studebaker mechanic that serviced my new '63 Hawk, told me during a service stop that he had adjusted the dipstick because it wasn't reading the correct level for proper operation. I think it was reading low for the correct oil fill, but I'm guessing and I can't remember if he told me the specifics of his adjustment.

The engine in my truck is a full flow 289 and with a NAPA gold oil filter it takes 6.5 US quarts to fill the crankcase and oil filter. I can only surmise the oil filter has some extra capacity over the original...

<h5>Mark
'57 Transtar Deluxe
Vancouver Island

The NW Overdrive Tour in Parksville, BC
May 23 & 24, 2009; check it out at -
http://sdcvi.shawwebspace.ca/</h5>

6 us = 5 imp. qts. Your dipstick position may be off by 0.5 us qts. The larger PH11 vs. PH25 filters that several are using should result in a higher reading, rather than lower. I'd stick with the 6 us qts. for a change with filter. As you know I'm sure, too much oil can result in air entrapment in the oil affecting lubrication efficiency.